


You believe I exist, right?

by valentinelovebot



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Aliases, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Atlas CEO Rhys, Branding, CEO Rhys (Borderlands), Flashbacks, Handsome Jack is a dick, Handsome Jack is dead, M/M, Mutilation, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Abuse, Physical Abuse, Post TftBl, Post-Canon, Pre Borderlands 3, Rhys hates loud noises, Self-Hatred, Timothy has a stutter, Verbal Abuse, mentioned Jackothy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:42:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24173806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/valentinelovebot/pseuds/valentinelovebot
Summary: After a sandstorm fucked Rhy's trip to Pandora to recover faulty guns, he is left stranded in the sandy wasteland alone.That is, until a bandit picks him up.
Relationships: Digi-Jack(s) & Timothy Lawrence, Digi-Jack(s)/Timothy Lawrence, Handsome Jack/Timothy Lawrence, Timothy Lawrence/Rhys
Comments: 6
Kudos: 34





	1. Stalker's Tango

Rhys felt the brown hair on the back of his neck stand on edge. He had taken refuge beneath of his abandoned truck. He was currently in the middle of nowhere, his truck wouldn't start as the engine was toast, night was setting in, and Rhys' ECHO was busted. With no way to contact anyone back at Atlas for backup, the CEO was currently stranded on Pandora of all places, completely alone, with only a pistol to protect himself against the beasts of the unforgiving planet.

He looked around nervously, squirming a little. He'd had enough energy to dig a small hole under his truck for safety and for protection from the sun that beat down relentlessly on the torn world. Rhys was sure he'd heard something. A skag, maybe? Hopefully not. He sighed and he pulled his knees to his chest. Damn. It was already getting cold. He looked around before he slipped out from under the truck. He spent a little bit searching the truck for anything he could use to light some sort of fire for the night. 

This sucked major ass. Rhys certainly wasn't planning on being here. He'd only been planning on spending the day on Pandora, getting picked up before nightfall, and then going back to his comfortable, huge, warm, SAFE, room. He bit the inside of his cheek and eventually tore apart the seat of the truck to use. He ran his metal finger against the side of the truck to create sparks, and soon had a small fire. He sat beside it, resting his head on his knees. 

At least Rhys wasn't dumb. 

A few hours later, Rhys heard the sound of a vehicle. He perked up and then stopped. This was PANDORA. You couldn't trust anyone here. He panicked, trying to put out the fire in hopes that maybe they hadn't seen him, but it was too late. Whatever it was, was driving closer to him. 

"Shit, shit shit shit shit-" Rhys hissed and he looked around. He broke the windshield and grabbed a shard of glass to use as a knife. When Rhys's eyes got used to the headlight approaching, he found that it was a bike. He stepped back and he set a hand on the pistol in his holster.

Damn. He shouldn't have came alone. That was a stupid decision. 

The person on the bike stopped and looked over at Rhys. "What're you doing out here." Not a question, more of a demand. The person had some sort of voice changer. It made them sound robotic. That was, unless this person was a robot. In the dim light, the hood over their head was hiding their face. 

Rhys straightened himself up a little. "None of your business." He said sternly. 

"You act like you're some sort of stranger. What the hell is the CEO of Atlas doing in the middle of Pandora alone?" They asked.They were wearing a cloak. Probably skagskin. The hood around their head concealed a plain white mask. It had no features, completely smooth. They had on faded jeans, black boots with spikes on the heels and toes, along with a pistol on their hip. Their shirt was hidden by the cloak they had on. 

"Failed mission. Sandstorm fucked my ride." Rhys said cooly. "Who are you? I think it's only fair that I know who you are since you know who I am."

The stranger paused, as if considering taking up the offer. "There's a big difference between you and I. I dont exist and you do." 

A metaphor? No. Definitely their popularity. Rhys sighed. "Well, do you think you could help me out? I'll make sure to give you a fine amount of-"

"I don't need money." The stranger cut him off. They paused again. Were they studying Rhys? Hard to tell. They werent even moving. Were they even breathing? "If you want my help, I obviously want something in return." 

"Naturally," Rhys said and he crossed his arms. 

"I need a medical procedure done.I get you to safety and keep you alive, and you pay for what I need." The stranger said and they tilted their head a little. "Deal?"

Rhys paused for a second. "How do I know you're not going to kill me?"

"If I wanted you dead, you'd be long gone, doll."

Rhys sighed, "fair enough." He muttered and he looked at the stranger. "Alright. I'll take you up on your offer." He said. He extended a hand to shake to solidify the deal.

The stranger just moved to let Rhys get on the bike. They didnt need a handshake apparently. 

Rhys quietly got on behind them, looking around for where to hang on. This was going to be awkward... He opened his mouth to speak before the engine revved. "Wrap your arms around my waist. You're going to want to keep your head down too." They informed. 

Rhys quietly did as he was told, biting the inside of his cheek hard. Suddenly, the bike lurched forward and they soon were speeding through the desert. Sand kicked up and Rhys felt it hit his body. He buried his face into the stranger's back, trying not to get it in his eyes too much. He let out a shaky breath. Had he forgotten how to breathe? Jeez. He really needed to calm down. He then felt the stranger move. They grabbed their pistol from their holster and shot at a jeep that was slowly inching toward them from the right. They shot the psycho peeking through the sunroof in the head, then the one driving. It was too dark to tell where, but the jeep spun out of control and crashed, so the hit must have been fatal. Rhys was silent. Some sharpshooting... Where the hell did they learn that? 

The stranger continued to drive, putting the pistol back into their holster. Eventually they made it to more rocky area. The stranger carefully maneuvered the bike through what soon became cliffs of red stone. They soon got to a wall, where a slim cut in the rocks was present. The stranger got off the bike, and so did Rhys. They moved the bike and hid it behind another rock. "This way." They instructed and they climbed up a little, slipping through the cut in the rock. The squeeze was obviously very tight. "Try not to panic. I wont be able to get you out if you get stuck." They told Rhys.

Well that was encouraging. "Got it." Rhys answered before he followed the other through the tight walls. On the other side was a cave with a shack inside, along with scraps of metal and old bikes and cars littered about the area. How did the stranger get all of these things here? Maybe the cave had another entrance? Or in this case, an exit. Rhys looked around but quickly followed the stranger to the shack. They opened the door and 3 cats slipped out. A white one, a gray and brown striped one, and a deep gray one. The gray one was blind, following the white one closely. "I dont want sand inside." The stranger said and removed their cloak, shaking it of sand. They hung it up by the door and then kicked their foot against the side of the shack to free any more from their boots. They then slipped inside and came back out with a pair of pants and an orange hoodie. "I'll wash your clothes for you. I won't be able to get a clear signal right now, so I'll try in the morning to contact Atlas." They told Rhys. Rhys was quiet and nodded.

Rhys changed his clothes, and the stranger took his dirty ones. They put them in a basket before leading Rhys inside. Rhys looked around. It was pretty cozy.. A bed in the corner of the decent sized shack, with candles strewn about. A lamp illuminated the entire place in a warm light. There were guns along the walls, a radio system beside the bed, a couch with a stack of books on the table next to it, a small kitchen area, and a closet. There were also cat toys everywhere. Cute. Rhys looked at the stranger. Their hair was a chocolate brown, with a few white streaks. It was longer and curly, resting just barely on their shoulders. 

Rhys finally cleared his throat. "Thank you for helping me... uh.. What should I call you?" He asked the other, wondering why they didnt remove their mask. This was their house after all. 

The stranger turned to him, looking down at the smaller male. "Law." They answered. "You don't need my real name." They said simply. "I'm going to sleep on the couch. You can take the bed, but my cats like to sleep there. They're clean, so don't worry about fleas or anything." Law told him. "The white one is Valerie, the striped one is Ben, and the black one is Marie." 

Rhys nodded along quietly. "Gotcha. But I can take the couch, I really dont mind. This is your place.." He said and shrugged. "And thanks for the clothes. They're comfy." 

Law only hummed in response. "If you're sure. I'm going to go and get some meat to make supper. Don't poke around too much." They said before they left the shack. 

Rhys watched them go before he began to look around. Meat? He wondered if it was stored in a freezer. How would Law make a freezer...? Especially out here? Oh well. He looked around, inspecting the guns lining the walls. Most of them were hyperion, while others were a mix of a bunch of things, so it was hard to tell what the gun originally was before all of the additions. Rhys narrowed his eyes. These guns were extremely rare. How did Law get their hands on these? Rhys would have to ask when the time was right. Law obviously trusted him alone in his own home with guns all over the place. Or maybe it wasn't trust at all. Maybe they were strong enough that no matter what Rhys tried to do, they wouldn't be affected. Or something like that. Rhys pursed his lips before he sat on the couch ,looking around some more. The cats slipped back inside. Ben had somehow opened the door to let Valerie and Marie inside. Ben closed the door behind them. Rhys wondered if Law had trained them to do that. 

When Law returned, they had a bowl of skag meat, and a large canister of water. They set the canister on the counter next to the stove. They grabbed a pan from under the bed before they began to cook the skag meat, letting it sit for a bit. They cut up a small chunk and filled a small dish next to the couch with the teeny bits of meat for the cats. They ate quietly and Law went back to cooking. Rhys watched them quietly. They had on a black sweater. It hugged their frame nicely. Rhys watched silently before he spoke up. 

"I assume you've been here a while?"

"Yea. Few years." Law replied. 

"And you don't mean to take your mask off either?"

"No."

Rhys frowned. He wanted to know who this person was. How did they have such rare hyperion guns? "I'm curious.. how did you get your hands on these Hyperion guns?"

"Dumb luck."

"I don't believe in luck."

"Then I don't have an answer for you."

Rhys grit his teeth. It was like talking to a brick wall. "Well these were never released to the public. Whoever gave these to you must have been someone important." Rhys told them, "someone real important."

That made Law shut up. Rhys noticed how they shifted their weight to their left foot. After a few minutes, they spoke up again. "It doesn't matter to you. I don't exist."

"What do you mean by that?"

And this time, Rhys didn't get a response.


	2. Lent.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this episode of Dragon Ball Z:
> 
> \- Rhys tries to press the stranger on who they really are!
> 
> \- The stranger doesn't take it lightly.

Rhys was quiet as Law cooked them their dinner. He sighed and pulled his knees to his chest, watching the cats quietly. He looked around some more. He wondered if Law was short for their actual name. He squinted in thought before he bit the inside of his cheek. Maybe he was pressing them too hard. Maybe he was just being nosy, sticking his nose into business he shouldn't. Law had obviously made quite a living for themself out here in the middle of asscrack Pandora... Rhys had to admit it was pretty impressive. They must have had an entire system. Pretty cool to think about. Rhys didn't have to worry about survival. He only had to long ago..

He shook his head to escape those thoughts. That was the past. He didn't have to worry about that anymore. Jack wasn't with him right now. He was safe... Alone. He sighed and sat back, trying to relax. He wanted to ask Law more questions. He was just so curious. The stranger had an amazing body... Rhys just really wanted to see if their face matched it. 

"So... When I head back to Atlas are you going to come with me? So you can get that.. procedure done?" Rhys asked the other. Law barely acknowledged he had spoken. It was a few long moments of silence and the sizzle of meat before Law responded. 

"I guess." Law muttered. They shifted their weight again before the meat was finally done. They set it on a plate to cool and washed the pan outside for a quick second before they came back inside. They seasoned the meat on top and began to boil a small new pan of water. They were quiet, obviously uncomfortable with a new set of eyes on them. "You don't need to ask questions. Who I am isn't important." They told Rhys.

"Again with that. What do you mean by that? That you don't exist?" Rhys got up and he frowned, walking to Law's side.

Law was quiet as Rhys stood at their side. "Someone I used know used to tell me that." They muttered quietly, pouring in some instant rice when the water was boiling. They took it off of the burner and they turned to Rhys for a second. "Why do you care? You have much better things to be concerned with... Like 'is this stranger going to murder me in my sleep'? Or 'how am I going to get back to my luxurious home?'"

Rhys scoffed and he watched the other. "You act like you aren't human." He accused. 

"Im not." Law said quickly. His voice was venomous. Rhys felt chills run down his spine. "I'm not important. You don't have to concern yourself with me." Law muttered and walked to their closet, slipping off the black sweater in favor for a yellow tank top. The mask remained on their face. Rhys couldn't really help but stare. Being stuck on Pandora changed people, he knew that firsthand but damn... Law could cut diamonds with those abs. 

"Pandora to Rhys." 

"H-Huh?" Rhys snapped himself out of his daze. 

"I asked you if you wanted any butter on your rice. I dunno how you like it." Law said and served up the food on two plates. 

"O-Oh. I'll just have it however you're gonna have it. I don't mind." Rhys said and he blushed harder, sitting back on the couch. Law definitely saw him staring. Fuck this was a disaster. 

It wasn't long before a plate of food was set in Rhys's lap. A fork was stuck in the meat. Rhys looked up to see Law was sitting beside him on the couch. They ate by running their fork of food under the mask to eat. "Don't stare."

Rhys immediately looked down at his food and ate it quickly. The skag meat was dry and bitter, but whatever Law had done to it made it a bit more bearable. A bit of it was sweet. He wondered what it was.

"I soak my meat in honey. It's pretty dry." Law told him. "If you need anything else just ask." 

Rhys nodded quietly and he soon finished his food. "Thanks. It was really good." He smiled a little at the other, who nodded. 

A little while later, Rhys cuddled beneath the blankets he was given to sleep with. It was cold. He curled up in a small ball, looking over at Law, who was sound asleep with their cats curled up around him in different spots. Rhys couldn't help but feel jealous of them. He wanted to be held by the ripped outcaster... Jeez. Life was cruel. Rhys rolled onto his back and stared quietly at the ceiling. It was annoying how cold he was. It would make his legs shake. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He got up and sat outside with the blanket wrapped around his shoulders. He needed a breath of fresh air. This... it was weird. It certainly wasnt a situation Rhys ever thought he would find himself in. When Rhys was scared and alone, he sometimes wished that Jack was still there in his head. He bit his lip and he furrowed his brows. But Jack was dead. He shouldn't be thinking of the other like that. 

He grabbed a stick and began to draw things in the dirt before the door opened. Rhys looked up to see the smooth mask of Law staring down at him. "Oh. I thought you ran." Law muttered. Beneath of the mask, they were frowning. "What are you doing?" 

"I needed a breather." Rhys explained and he looked back at the drawing of a whale he'd sketched into the sand. "Didn't mean to scare you." He sighed softly and he pulled his knees closer to his chest. 

Law was quiet for a few moments. They eventually sat beside him. "You're strange. You've obviously been on Pandora before and yet you didn't put a bullet in my head when I was sleeping." 

Rhys couldn't help but chuckle a little. "I really don't think even if I wanted to you would have given me the opportunity." 

"True. I wasn't asleep." 

"Figured."

"You're shaking. Do you want to just share the bed? I get the left side." 

Rhys's heart stopped in his chest. Share the bed? SHARE THE BED? He blushed hard and he cleared his throat. "Y-Yea, sure. I don't care." He muttered, still trying to act calm and collected. It was obvious that Law saw right through it, though.

"Alright. Just join me whenever you're done." Law said and stood up before heading inside. 

Rhys took a few long moments to process what the fuck just happened. Wow... he really gets to share the bed with Law?! Dream come true. He smiled to himself before he stood up and slipped inside, the excitement vanishing. Law was in bed, their back to Rhys. Rhys bit the inside of his cheek hard before he slipped into bed beside the other, laying on his back whilst Law was on their side. Rhys stared up at the ceiling. He eventually drifted off to sleep, though.

The next morning, Rhys woke up cuddled into Law's back, one of his arms around Law's middle. He slowly opened his eyes before he pulled away, rubbing his eyes. Well... that was an accident. He frowned and he looked away. He felt gross. Law probably thought he was weird, cuddling up to them like that. He turned over onto his other side and he curled up. As much as he wished he didnt move, as he wanted to stay and count every freckle on their arm... He didnt want to gross them out.

Rhys had always felt like that. Gross for having feelings for someone, even if it was miniscule. He frowned to himself before he ended up staring at the ceiling as tears rolled down his face from one eye. It was useless. No matter how much Rhys had tried, nobody looked at him like a person. Not even Jack did. He was just a stepping stone for Jack to use to get what he wanted. He sniffled softly. That was enough to make Law stir. They rolled over and saw Rhys crying. They reached out and touched his cheek, wiping his tears with a large thumb. "Why're you crying, kiddo?"

Rhys let out a soft squeak of surprise when he was touched before he stared at Law. "I-I was just thinking. Sorry." He muttered softly. The shack then shook hard and Law hurriedly pulled Rhys close to shield him. The entire place shook harder and some guns fell off of the walls. When the shaking stopped, Law let go of the other. "Plasma storm. Sorry. That means we cant use my radio." They told Rhys. Rhys, however, was quiet. He sniffled and he teared up again. Even though Law was doing it to protect him, Rhys couldn't stop the thud that wracked his body. He sniffled and teared up again. 

"Hey, hey, its ok. It'll die down in a few days. It really wont be that long." They tried to reassure Rhys before Rhys buried his face into their chest, clinging to them. 

"Please just hold me again." He said weakly. 

Law was quiet before they complied, wrapping their strong arms around the other. 

That was enough for Rhys to fall back asleep.


	3. Moscow.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this episode of Dragonball Z:
> 
> \- Law and Rhys are still stuck in the house.
> 
> \- Rhys is restless and opens up a little.
> 
> \- Law doesn't take it well.

Law looked down at the male as he slept. They quietly set the other aside and wrapped him up like a kid in their warm blankets. They looked down at the male for a few long moments before standing. They slipped off their mask and let it sit on their forehead. They walked to their mirror and inspected the long scar on their face.

====

"Squirming's only gunna make it hurt worse, Timmy," Jack hissed and he looked at the doppelganger strapped to the chair in front of him. The person in the chair was panicking, tears filling his mismatched eyes. He sobbed and he frantically shook his head.

"Please! Jack you can't do this! Please!"

"Oh but I can, pumpkin! You tend to forget that I FUCKING OWN YOU!" Jack growled and he pressed the hot branding onto his face. The man shrieked in pain, screaming as what felt like eons of the hot metal burning into his flesh, though it was only a few moments. He sobbed, though tears only escaped one eye, as the other was burned shut. He cried harder before he eventually fainted from the intense pain.

=== 

Law was silent. A hand slowly made his way up to touch it. His mismatched eyes flew to his scarred knuckles before he finally tore his gaze away from the mirror. He needed to pet his cats. He turned and smiled to see Ben waiting patiently at his feet for his attention. He bent down, gently petting the cat. Ben purred loudly and he nuzzled his hand. "Thanks, Big Band." Law smiled and kissed his head lovingly. "My good boy." He cooed sweetly and he continued to pet the fluffy bastard. Ben purred more and eventually got tired of the attention and stalked off. 

Law sighed and stood up, looking outside. The sky was dark. It began to thunderstorm. He sighed and he brushed his hair from his eyes. He heard Rhys move and he panicked. Shit shit shit! His mask fell off. Where the fuck was it?! Rhys slowly sat up and saw the other. "Jack?"

Law didn't respond. Rhys squinted. "Nevermind." He muttered. Was he asleep? Rhys laid back down. Maybe he was asleep. Jesus... Law sure hoped so. He found his mask under the bed and he put it on, sighing quietly. He stood back up and looked down at the sleeping male. He was sleeping. He sat beside Rhys on his bed and he stared quietly at his own hands.

=====

"Please spare me! Please!"

'Kill him, Timmy.' Jack's voice shot through his ECHO. He looked down at the man on his knees in front of him.

"Please! I'll change everything-please! My wife at home- She needs me!"

'Put a fucking bullet in his eye.'

"She's pregnant, she won't be able to support our child! Please!"

'I said FUCKING KILL HIM!'

His eyes welled up with tears. He pulled the trigger, the bullet landing right in the man's left eye. He fell to his knees, tears running down his face freely.

'What the fuck was that?!' Jack roared. 

He stared at the body in front of him. He was quiet. He looked down at his hands. I did that. I killed him without even thinking about it. I was scared for my own life that I took his. He probably had so much left to do. So much left to say. His body shook a little.

'Oh god, Tim.. Fuck. I didn't think you'd freak out this much.. Jeez... Just- Hurry up and get home ok? I-I'll give you the break you deserve, kay pumpkin?'

===

Law silently stared at his palms, his fingers, his fingernails. These hands killed so many. Took so many lives. He was too lost in his thoughts he didn't even hear Rhys sit up. 

"Law? What's going on?" Rhys asked softly and he scooted over to the other, his voice full of sleep. "You're crying.."

Law was silent, still. He didn't know what to say. What to tell Rhys. What was there to say? 'Hey, by the way, I've killed hundreds and hundreds of people for someone I thought I loved?' Not a chance in hell. He only was quiet. He slowly pulled his knees to his chest and slowly closed his eyes.

Rhys noticed his silence, understanding that he didn't want to talk about it. "Hey its okay... uh... m-man..?"

No correction.

"Well, I'm here for you... I know it probably sounds like bullshit, but you don't seem like that bad of a guy." Rhys told him and gently patted his back, which Law flinched away from. Rhys pursed his lips at that and sighed softly. "You should probably take your mask off... I don't think its good to cry with it on."

"I've done it before. It's fine."

Now Rhys was the one who didn't want to respond. How could you respond to that? How would you? He was quiet, searching Law's body for any other tells of what he was really feeling. "Is there... anything I can do for you?" He asked softly, looking up at the other. Was that a glint of nervousness in Rhys's eye? Yea. He didn't exactly know what he was signing up for here. 

"No. Go back to sleep."

The house suddenly shook again. Law grabbed Rhys close and he shielded his body as the house shook. His wardrobe threatened to topple. Law hissed out a soft "shit." before he tapped his watch. A Digi-Jack appeared to hold it up, but Rhys's head was pressed into Law's chest so he didn't see it. When the shaking ceased, the Digi-Jack vanished and Law let go of the other. "Sorry. I probably smell like shit."

"No, no you're good. Don't worry." Rhys smiled up at him. Was Rhys... shaking? He was horrified. It reminded him of.. that place. When everything went down with.. HIM. He teared up and he clutched Tim's shirt tightly. 

Law only sighed. "Do you want me to hold you again?"

"Yes."

"So you're asking a total stranger-who could be a murderer, by the way-to hold you because you're scared of a little plasma storm?" He sounded unimpressed.

"Yes. Just... shut the fuck up." Rhys snapped, tears running down his face. He quickly wiped his tears and looked away from him. 

Law frowned, seeing that Rhys really just... needed to be held. It was something outside of Tim's understanding. He nodded and carefully wrapped an arm around him. "Alright, Sorry."

Rhys froze up at the touch but eventually leaned against him. "Thanks." He mumbled softly, slowly closing his eyes. He curled up in a ball, leaning on the buff stranger. Law was warm. "So.. you wanna tell me about yourself so when I bring you to Atlas I know who I'm treating?" He grinned up at him.

Law's cheeks lit up in embarrassment. "Y-Yea. Uh.." He cleared his throat. "Name's Law. I like cats and old rock.. and alternative. I can play guitar and I'm a pretty good cook... I guess. I also can act." He muttered softly. "Grab bag of traits, huh?" He chuckled.

"No kidding." Rhys's ECHOeye didn't pull up anything on him... When Law said he didn't exist...he was totally right. But why? Nobody was just off of the grid like that. Nobody. 

"Anything else you wanna know? Since I know you've done some digging of your own." 

Rhys frowned a little, pursing his pretty pink lips. "Yea. Why cant I pull up any information on you? I should s-"

"I told you. I don't exist."


	4. Sailor Song.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this episode of DragonBall Z: 
> 
> \- rhys tries to figure out who Law really is

Rhys frowned and he scoffed, looking at Law. "Nobody just doesn't exist. You're sitting right in front of me, Law." he said and he crossed his arms. "Why arent there any files on you?" He asked. "Its not just anyone who has that kind of ability to just be completely under the radar. Who are you?" He pressed, getting closer to the other male. 

Law looked forward and stared at the wall in silence. He looked down at his hands for a moment. He didn't want to answer Rhys. He didn't really know how to. He didn't know what to do. He felt his body begin to get cold. His feet got cold first and it slowly began to ran up his body. His heartbeat quickened. What if something happened? His eye welled up with tears. He felt terrible. 

Rhys immediately noticed his discomfort. "Hey, hey its okay. Im sorry, Law. Im really sorry." He said and he whimpered. "Are you okay? Im really sorry. Im really sorry- Is there anything I can do? Law...?"

Law didnt look at him. He couldn't. What did he do wrong? Why was he upset at him? What did he do? His body began to shake as he flinched away from Rhys' touch. He felt terrible. Something had gone wrong. He'd done something. 

=========

"Why didn't you listen to me out there, Timmy? You have to listen to me. As much as your boss, I'm also looking out for you." Jack muttered softly as he treated the little cuts all over the other's body. He gently cupped his cheek and forced the other to look at him. "Look at me, cupcake. I'm not upset at you... I'm more disappointed than anything else." He kissed his nose gently. "It's alright, Timmy."

He stared at Jack quietly. He stared at the other. He didn't want the other to be upset at him at all. "I'm sorry." He said. "I'm sorry." His voice came out weak and small. Probably weaker than he meant. He hated seeming so small compared to Jack. He hated that he was so much... lesser than. He couldn't look him in the eye. He couldn't.

Jack noticed how small he felt. He sighed quietly and he slowly ran his fingers through his hair. "Hey, hey.. It's alright, pumpkin. You're alright. I'm not upset at you." He reassured and he cupped his cheek with a hand. He smiled a little at the other, rubbing his cheek. He then pulled the other closer, holding him gently. "Its okay. You're okay." He hummed. "You won't let it happen again, right? You'll make me proud?"

He nodded quietly, resting his head on top of Jack's. "T-Thank you." He mumbled softly. "It wont happen again, I promise."

"I know it wont. Because next time it does I won't be so nice with you, Timmy." Jack said lowly, grabbing him by the neck. His eyes widened and he sputtered for air. "You won't fucking disappoint me again, Timothy."

============

"Law? Hey- What's going on?" Rhys frowned worriedly and he reached out a hand for the other. 

"My name rhymes with Jimothy. Jimothy Jawrence."

"What?"

"Just replace the first letters with T and L." He finally choked out. He reached his hands beneath of his mask and he covered his face. He tried to breathe. His hands were his own. They didn't belong to Jack.

Rhys nodded and he set a hand on his back. "You're alright, Timothy. It's just us here, okay?" He knelt beside him and carefully wrapped his arms around him. That didn't help. Timothy immediately grabbed Rhys by the neck and pinned him against the floor. 

"S-Shit. I-" He pulled away immediately. 

Rhys coughed and gasped for air, shaking his head. "I-Its okay... I sh-should have asked first.." He smiled sheepishly at the other. "Its okay. Im not upset. You had every reason to do that." He said softly.

Timothy paused, staring at the other in silence. He then looked at his hands. "Do...did you ever know Handsome Jack personally?" He asked after a few long moments. 

Rhys was quiet, pausing. It was obvious that Timothy probably did- But that wasn't enough for Rhys. "Depends. Did you?"

"Yes." Timothy said and he slipped off his mask. "I was his body double. I... I went under surgery to look like him, talk like him, act like him." He muttered and he stared at Rhys. 

Rhys was silent, staring at the other. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He didn't know what he could say. He reached out and touched his cheek, noticing small freckles dotting his face. "You aren't him... I.. jeez... Some whiplash." He chuckled sheepishly. "I.. an AI Version of Jack got in my cybernetics.. He was in my head, basically." He told Timothy. "I... I didn't do anything good, I'm sure you can figure that much.." He sighed quietly. 

Timothy nodded a little and he looked at Rhys. "So.. you don't hate me...?" He asked nervously. 

"No. You're nothing like him." Rhys said softly. "Its a little weird for such a nice person to have the face of a tyrannical maniac." He sighed softly. He smiled a bit at Timothy. "Thanks for showing me your face. Was that medical procedure gonna be uh.. making your face what it once was?" He asked curiously. 

He shook his head. "No. There's a bomb in my face that keeps me from saying my name. I need to find out if it can be defused and if I can even become who I once was." He muttered softly, looking at Rhys. "So there's all of my secrets." he muttered. 

Rhys nodded silently. "I gotcha. I completely understand. Do you wanna uh... talk about nice things instead?" He smiled sheepishly.

Timothy turned pink and he cleared his throat, looking away in embarrassment. "Y-Yea. I'm sorry." 

========

Timothy looked over at the male that was sitting beside him, sipping a little cup of coffee, his legs laying over Tim's own. He couldn't help but smile a little. The CEO of Atlas was really just a sweetheart who liked warm things and blankets. He looked down at his hands for a second. He wondered if Rhys hated him. Hated him for looking like Jack. He looked up at the ceiling as the house shook just a little. Rhys immediately set the cup aside and clung to Tim's side, burying his face in his chest. Timothy blushed and he wrapped his arms around him protectively. "It's ok, Rhys. I'm sorry this is scaring you so bad..."

"Its ok..." came his muffled reply. 

"I won't let go this time, ok?"

"Good. I'm holding you to that."


	5. Wretch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On this Episode of Dragonball Z: 
> 
> Rhys meets the Digis and almost kills Timothy,

1Timothy's body ached. Everything hurt. His heart, his soul, his back. Damn. He was just reaching 34... Was he really that old already? He let out a soft sigh and he let go of Rhys, getting out of bed to make breakfast. His hair was a mess. He looked like he'd just came out of hibernation. But Timothy thought he always looked like that. 

Rhys stirred. He rolled over and over until he finally stilled, but opened his eyes. He rubbed them slowly. "Timothy?" He asked softly. 

"I'm up." Came his gruff reply. His digis suddenly came out of his watch. 

"What'cha makin', kiddo?" One asked. 

"Who's the cute guy?" The other asked. 

Rhys's eyes widened at the voices and he grabbed a gun from off of the wall. "Don't get anywhere near me, you fucking bastard!" He screamed at the digi's, pointing the shotgun at them. "How did you find me?!" 

Tim quickly turned from what he was doing to assess the situation. "Rhys, hey, it's okay. Put the gun down. Its okay. What're you talking about? We can talk this out..." He looked over the shoulder at one of his Digis. "You two stay back, you hear me?!" He snapped seriously. 

"Yea yea we got it, cupcake." One grumbled, crossing his arms. The other quickly pretended to zip his mouth shut and flicked away the key.

Tim rolled his eyes and he sat on the bed, gently easing the gun away from the brunette. "Hey, Rhys. It's okay.. you're safe here. What happened?" He asked softly. 

"J-Jack.... Are they Jack?" Rhys asked seriously.

"Well, not exactly. They're digi's. They may act like Jack, but they're part of me. They protect me. They don't act completely like him if it makes you feel any better." Timothy said softly. "That one is Lesser," he pointed to the one who'd zipped his mouth shut. Lesser waved. "And that one is Greater." He pointed to the one who had his arms crossed. Greater scoffed. "They aren't Jack. They're attached to this watch and my echo, in case my watch gets destroyed." He told Rhys. "Jack is dead, Rhys." 

"He wasn't." Rhys spat, wiping his eyes as he sat up. "He got turned into an AI. He was in my fucking head, Timothy. I had to hear him talk and talk and talk and talk and do you know what he fucking did to me?!" He yelled, slamming his metal fist against the wall. "He fucking abandoned me! He used me!" He yelled and he teared up again, covering his face with his hands. 

Tim panicked. Did he hold the other?! What the fuck was he supposed to do? 

"Where'd he go, kiddo?" Greater asked, bending down beside Rhys, gently setting a hand on his shoulder. He was solid. He wasn't like Jack. "What happened to Jack?"

Rhys slowly looked over at Greater. "H-He was in my ECHO eye... that I crushed." He said softly. "You don't look like Jack." He said. 

"Well, no. Tim let us break free from that old coding. We still have his face but... we more look like Tim. We aren't Jack, sweetheart." Greater told him. "We never wanted to be. Timtams over here grew on us and... We took on his little tics and buzzes I guess." 

Rhys nodded slowly. "I understand."

"Sorry for scaring you, Rhys." Lesser sat on the bed beside Timothy. "Im sure its jarring to see three dudes who look like Jack lookin' down on you." 

Rhys nodded. Tim hit his watch, and the digi's vanished. "Rhys, I'm sorry. I had on idea."

"It's okay. I don't like talking about it."

There was silence for a few beats. 

"Sorry about your wall, by the way."


End file.
